Installation method for partitions



June 25, 1968 J. B. DUNNINGTON 3,389,517

INSTALLATION METHOD FOR PARTITIONS Filed June 0, 1965 INVENTOR. JON B.DUNN/Nam United States Patent 3,389,517 INSTALLATION METHOD FORPARTITIONS Jon B. Dunnington, Mercer Island, Wash., assignor toWeyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash., a corporation of Washington FiledJune 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,511 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-238) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLGSURE A method of installing movable partitions utilizing cohesivetapes to hold the top and bottom of the partitions against the ceilingand floor. The weight of the partition against the bottom tape and thepressure of the upper edge of the partition against the top tape insurethat the cohesive properties of the tape will be adequate to resistdislocating forces applied against the partition. When a change ofposition of the partitions is desired, they can be disassembled andremoved without damage to the floor or ceiling.

The present invention relates to building structures and moreparticularly to a method of installing walls and partitions whichpermits ease of installation and removal with liitle or no floor andceiling damage.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a method ofinstallation for partitions of the types which either span from floor toceiling or from floor to partial heights. With the ever increasing needfor office and other space-dividers there has been presented a pressingneed for a removable partition system which is portable, easily andquickly installed and easily and quickly changed in location withoutdamaging the floors and ceiling to which the partitions are secured.

It has been common practice in the past to install partitions by usingmetal runners for the floors and ceilings to which the bottom and toprespectively of the wall or partition are secured. These runners areattached to the floor or ceiling by means of screws or bolts and therebycause some destruction of the floors or ceilings where the bolts orscrews are placed. A typical installation of this type is disclosed inthe US. patent to Tomlinson No. 2,54Q,305.

in summary, this invention relates to the use of certain tacky tapes,which contact the floor and ceiling in the areas Where the partitionsare desired, providing suflicient means for holding the partition wallsin place and at the same time permitting the walls to be relocatedquickly and easily without destruction to the floors and ceilings.

The invention has further reference to certain features ofaccomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURES 1a to 1c are fragmentary perspective views of the sequence ofinstallation of a partition in accordance with the method of the instantinvention.

FIGURES 2a and 2b are fragmentary perspective views of the sequence ofinstallation of securing the top portion of a partition to the ceilingsurface.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawings, referenceis primarily made to FIGURES la to la inclusive in which numeral 2denotes a floor surface upon which the partition .10 is to be installed.An installation line 3 may be used to denote the desired position of thepartition 10 and to guide the location of a tape 5. The tape 5 isapplied to the surface 2 by unrolling the tape reel 7. As is shown inthe FIGURE 1b, the next step in the process is to place a floor runner 8onto the tape 5. As shown in FIGURE 10 the third step of the process is3,339,517 Patented June 25, 1968 to place the partition leveling devices9 upon the floor runner 8 to provide support for the partition 10.

The weight of the partition 10 is sufficient to co-act with the cohesiveproperties of the tape 5 to resist dislocating forces which may beapplied to the side of the partition 10. This method may be practice-dto install partial height partitions or to install full floor to ceilingspanning partitions.

When the partition 10 is a full height partition, spanning the distancebetween the floor surface 2 and the ceiling surface 12 as shown inFIGURE 2a, a similar method for securing the top portion of thepartition 10 to the ceiling surface 12 can be practiced. The tape 5 isapplied to the ceiling surface 12 at the desired location as is shown inFIGURE 2a. The top portion of the partition 10 is moved into contactWith the tape 5 as is shown in FIG- URE 2b.

When it is desired to relocate or to completely disassemble thepartition which has been installed according to the above describedmethods, it is a simple matter of reversing the order of installationand then removing the tape from the floor or ceiling surfaces withoutdamage to these surfaces.

Many alternate methods for installing the partitions suggest themselvesonce the concept of the use of the tape is known. For example, it ispossible to apply the tape to the floor runner prior to installation,and then simply place the runner with the tape onto the floor surface inthe desired location. Likewise the tape can be applied to the topportion of the partition and then the partition and tape located so thatthe tape contacts the ceiling surface. Since the tape can be made of acohesive material which sticks to itself, it is possible to place thetape onto the floor surface, to place another piece of tape onto thebottom of the runner, and then to place the two pieces of tape incontact with each other.

A suitable tape for this installation method is a tacky butyl, or any ofits equivalents having cohesive properties. The use of butyl in liquidform is considered an equivalent to butyl in tape form as hereindescribed.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may beused, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: i

1. A method of installing partitions, which includes panel units mountedon base runners, which comprises:

(a) securing a tape means, having a tacky surface on at least one side,to the bottom surface of a base runner so that a tacky surface of saidtape is exposed,

(b) laying said base runner on a floor surface with said exposed tackysurface of said tape contacting said floor surface; and

(c) imposing the Weight of said panel units onto said base runner, andfurther,

((1) applying a tape means, having a tacky surface on both sides, to aceiling surface with one tacky surface contacting said ceiling surface,and

(e) pressing the top surface of said panel units against the other tackysurface of said tape on said ceiling.

2. A removable partition system for dividing the floor space in a roomcomprising in combination:

floor tape means having cohesive properties contacting the floor of saidroom to locate said partition and to resist dislocating forces which maybe applied to said partition system;

floor runner means laid along and in cohesive contact with said tapemeans;

partition leveling devices placed along the upper surface of said floorrunner means;

partition means supported by said leveling devices; and

ceiling tape means having cohesive properties contacting the ceiling ofsaid room with one surface and the top of said partition with its othersurface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1931 Adams et al. 52204 2/1936Carpenter 248--205 Tomlinson 52242 Downing 161-406 Graif 52242 Oliver52746 Gartrell 52283 Moore 52288 Hiller 52122 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, PrimaryExaminer.

